


Sweet Monsters

by allurain



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Beauty and the Beast Elements, F/F, F/M, Skeletons, Vampires, Zombies, back to the medieval times, ghosts - tuyul, i dont think this is scientifically correct, post-nuclear fallout world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 00:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18487978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allurain/pseuds/allurain
Summary: When a man set off to a journey to find a cure for his mother, he did not think that there may be a lot of the unknown that dwells along the way.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I’m just uploading this to ao3 because i need a place to drop this piece. Also because I wanna say to my friends that I’m now a hugo award nominee. But yeah enjoy

There was nothing to hear except for the loud thunders and the sound of falling rain. Looming shadows hide behind the woods, searching for its prey. After all, storms are their favorite weather to hunt. And currently, they’re ravenous. 

A poor soul happen to pass by. A lone human. He was running, trying to find a place to hide. Oh, how they pity him. The shadows readied themselves to strike at the right time. This is their chance for a nice meal once in awhile. Their mouth is practically drooling. Only for their prey. 

They lunged on the man, and everything went black after that. 

But the rain continues.


	2. Chapter 2

The town buzzed in the morning. The sound of merchants coming and travelers arriving disturbed Cleo’s ear. He tried to sleep it out, but he can’t seem to sleep again. He jolted up abruptly after hearing his sister, Vera, call for him, who also dropped a pleasant surprise. “Wake up, Cleo! Mother is here!” she announced. He immediately went out of bed.

Its been awhile since they met their mother, Beth. Around three months to be exact. Its because she needed extra medication for her rare disease. She needed to be in the medical to ensure that she heals. So to hear that their mother came home was enough of a reason for him to wake up completely. 

Cleo rushed out of his bedroom to find her sister, “Coming!” 

When he reach the living room, his face went bright. It was mother! In a nice condition! She looked healthy, and was definitely cracking a smile when Cleo arrived to the scene. This was the first time he saw his mother manage to smile in a few months. He could also see that Vera was happy too. He pulled Beth into a big hug. His sister soon joined and made it into a group hug. 

“Mother, we missed you,” Cleo said. 

“I missed you too. You look like shit and stink, though, Cleo.”

Cleo almost got teary-eyed, until that stink remark from his mother. He just woke up and rushed immediately when he heard Beth has arrived, who was he to blame? When he’s deep in grumbling, Vera tapped his shoulder and ask him to sit down. It seemed like Beth was gonna talk about something. 

“How are you feeling, mother? You definitely look better than we last met.” Vera initiated the conversation.

“I’m doing fine, my dear. The doctor is being so nice to me.” 

“Is it Doctor Barnes, mom? He’s always so nice to you! Might as well just marry him, yeah?” Everyone laughed at Vera’s comment. Perhaps he could see a tint of red in his mother’s cheeks. She’s in her early 40s, but she’s widowed after her husband died. That happened when Cleo was just a little kid, around 7 years old. It was natural for her to find… someone else, right?

“Oh you’re really reaching there, Vera. Besides, its not like he’s single or anything.” 

Cleo smiled smugly, “So you asked, mother?” 

“You’re just teasing me here, aren’t you? Even to your oh so poor and sick mother?” 

Everyone chuckled. Cleo missed moments like these. Moments where they could just talk about everything, when everything was just fine. Having family dinners together, talking about if Vera was having difficulties with her chemistry. Or if Cleo found something interesting to do, like planting little plants in little pots and of course, his travels. Or even teasing their mother, like this very moment. However, he knew this moment wouldn’t last long. He just had a gut feeling. Everyone knows that Cleo’s gut feeling never lies. 

And his feeling did prove to be true. Beth’s happy smile slowly turned into a more sad smile. When Cleo saw this change, he almost clenched his heart. 

“Well kids, I’m pretty sure you both know deep in your hearts that there must be something to be talked about if I visited.” She stared at both of her kids intently. This was something serious, it seemed.

“About what, mother?” 

Beth curled her lips, “About my sickness.”

Both of Beth’s kids weren’t ready for what will come through. 

“Your cough isn’t going to be gone?” Vera asked with full concern.

“My cough is chronic, dear. I would say this is an incurable disease,” There was a gleam in Beth’s eyes. 

“But Doctor Barnes mentioned that perhaps, there could be a cure. A remedy.”

“A remedy?”

“Yes.”

The room went silent for awhile. It seemed to them that there was still hopes for her mother to 

“And where will you get this remedy? From the medical?” Cleo asked.

Their mother cleared her throat, “That, my boy, would be too easy. I’d be cured by now if they have the ingredients in the medical.” 

Cleo and Vera frowned. That just means that finding the remedy for their mother would be difficult. Beth coughed in the middle of the conversation. This caused both of the kids closer to their mother and patted her shoulder. 

“The ingredients needed is located far from here. A mutated plant near a site which used to be a nuclear power plant in the islands before the fallout. An area that’s no longer Halnea, our lovely country,” she fidgeted. 

“In the islands?”

“Yes. South of here, I believe.”

“Why must it be there? Isn’t there somewhere else inside Halnea where it was once a nuclear power plant? Or maybe nearer? The islands are really far away, mother.” Cleo voiced his concerns. As a frequent traveler, he knows how far the islands were. Even though you don’t need to go by sea because of the bridge, its still going to be a lengthy journey. 

“There’s this plant native to one of the islands. I forgot what it is, I think it’s a type of ginger?” she said, “When its mutated, Doctor Barnes believe that it would become a cure for my sickness.” 

“I’m asking this to the both of you — But most importantly, Cleo,” Beth closed her eyes and exhaled, “Would it be okay for you to find this ginger for me?” 

Both of the children looked at each other. A mutated ginger, can only be found in the islands, where no one has came home exploring there. What could go wrong? Cleo had always been a traveler. He’d only reached Halnean areas, though. He didn’t know what lies beyond. Another thing that he worried about was his little sister, Vera. He didn’t feel like his sister could manage a really long journey like that. Cleo had to say something. 

“Of course! We’d do that for you, mother!” he said, “But Vera — Can you manage?” 

Vera looked confused. Like her mother, she usually wasn’t allowed to travel because of her weak immune system. She definitely wanted to go, but she had to think about it thoroughly. If she died in the middle of the journey out of a strange sickness, all of this would be for naught. Cleo understands that, at the very least. 

“You don’t need to come, dear. You could be here and accompany me in the medical instead.” Beth reassured her. Vera still looked uneasy. 

“But — I would actually be useful for once if I join Cleo.”

“You’re always useful ever since you got into the chemistry classes, Vera,” Beth answered, “You don’t need to join if you physically can’t.” 

Vera sat in silence. Nobody dared to make a sound. 

“I take that silence as a yes from you. Now, Cleo, I would like to talk to you in private.” 

Beth stood carefully from her seat. She had to be extra careful when she’s moving. Cleo soon followed her, leaving Vera alone in the living room. 

Cleo voiced out his concerns as soon as Vera was out of the hearing range, “Mother, don’t you think you’re a bit straightforward here? I mean, I could’ve taken care of Vera in the journey. I know she’s dying to join.” 

Beth stared at him, “You know well that Vera’s almost as fragile as me, Cleo. I couldn’t let her go outside the town, let alone the entire country.”

Cleo stared at his mother defeatedly and sighed. She was right, “So then what is it that you need to talk to me, without Vera?”

Beth took out a paper. It was filled with handwritten notes, “Before you go on the journey, I want you to talk to other travelers in this town. And also, this is a list of things you should buy. You could add more things, but I’m pretty sure if you buy everything from here you’d be fine.” 

She handed Cleo the note. He took it and skimmed through it quickly. There’s a lot to prepare. It was gonna be a lengthy trip after all. 

“Alright,” he said, “I’ll prepare for the journey tomorrow. I still need to talk to Vera.”

Beth smiled, “That’s my boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was short. the fun has yet to come. also this is definitely un-betaed lol


End file.
